There are many different types of speed controllers for powered vehicles which are usually either hand levers or foot pedals such as an automobile accelerator pedal. These devices provide a fixed position of the lever or pedal which corresponds to an amount of power delivered to propel the vehicle. Some are mechanically independent, so-called “drive-by-wire” devices. However, these types of speed controllers or throttles can jam or stick in a fixed position, continuing the delivery of power when it is not wanted. This can cause serious safety problems and injury to the driver. Kinematic type drives which require the constant activity of the operator such as a pedal and crank arrangement commonly found on power-assisted bicycles also require substantial muscle power of the operator to drive the vehicle which may not be desirable or possible for drivers with physical limitations.
Examples of power-assisted vehicles with auxiliary power controlled by pedal movement are shown for example in U.S. Pat. No. 6,545,437 issued to Strothmann, U.S. Pat. No. 6,412,800 issued to Tommei, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,085,814 issued to Davidson et al. In all instances, however, the pedal crank mechanism is positively linked to the drive wheel by a chain and sprockets, and it is not possible to turn the pedals and crank mechanism forward without substantial muscular effort required to propel the vehicle. Muscle-powered drives are also known to be power-assisted, and may be varied according to the amount of muscle power input or speed of the vehicle, however these mechanical drives require the structural alignment and proximity between the pedal crank and the drive wheels in the case of a land vehicle such as a bicycle or tricycle. In cases where the motor is controlled by movement of the pedal, some torque transfer to the mechanical connection to the drive wheel is required. Since these vehicles can always be muscle-powered, there is no way to electrically disable them to limit their use as may be desired for a child's toy vehicle or to prevent unauthorized use.
Also, it may be desirable in some situations as in the case of an impaired driver or elderly operator with physical limitations to not require substantial muscle power to drive the vehicle. Also, in the case of elderly operators of stable vehicles such as three-wheeled and four-wheeled pedal-operated type vehicles it may be desirable to provide the appearance that the vehicle is being powered by the muscle power of the operator so as to obscure the physical impairment or disability of the elderly operator. This would provide the appearance of health and vitality of the operator to onlookers.
There is therefore a need in the art for a safe speed regulator for a vehicle which requires the constant kinematic activity on the part of the operator that does not require substantial muscle power to drive the vehicle or require any mechanical connection between the kinematic speed controller and the power which drives the vehicle. There is a further need in the art for such a remote kinematic speed controller which includes mechanical components simulative of a bicycle drive to provide the false appearance of the operator providing muscle power to propel the vehicle.